Thomas Tull Buys Bill Mazeroski 1960 World Series Jersey, Bat

Bill Mazeroski looks on while Neil Walker works at second base.

Thomas Tull is soon to be a billonare from making movies.  But it’s what he now owns that makes him even more interesting to Pittsburgh Pirates fans.

Sometimes I simply shake my head when reading a story like this one about the memorabilia sold by Hunt Auctions and Bill Mazeroski.  The items were from one of the biggest moments in Pittsburgh sports history.  I don’t have any scoop here other than that it’s disappointing to me.  I am certain Thomas Tull is happy today and good for him.  The movie producer has a passion for sports and he pulled the trigger on the jersey and also the bat.

Hunt Auctions said the Mazeroski collection sold for $1.7 million dollars.  His uni went for $633,000 bucks to Tull, who is also part owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Maz also sold numerous other items including his six Gold Glove awards that he won during the 1950s and ’60s.

In case you missed all of this, the uniform and bat were the ones used by Mazeroski when he hit the walk-off home run in the World Series back in 1960 against the New York Yankees.  It was legendary.  I have quite a bit of Maz memorabilia in a six-pack shop near where we live.  It’s nothing extra special, but I still admire it.

I think the jersey, since it can’t now belong to the team should at least be near the Pirates organization.  That’s the bottom line.  It means so much to the organization, well at least I think it should.

Tull felt it meant more.  He snagged the bat, which is really cool, the bat that sent the ball sailing over Yogi Berra‘s head that spectacular October day at Forbes Field.  The movie guru said in a Post-Gazette story that he might put them on display at some point, he also owns some very cool Honus Wagner and Roberto Clemente memorabilia.  (Sounds like he might be one of Hunt Auctions top customers)

Perhaps Tull has something in mind for the jersey and bat that were so significant to the Pittsburgh Pirates.  After all the man who helped ensure that most of The Dark Night Rises be filmed in Pittsubrgh seems like a guy that gets what Pittsburgh is all about.

It’s interesting that it took a man from New York to get what Pittsburgh is all about.  Good for him.

Here is the Forbes article about Tull which is pretty cool.

Here is Bill Brink’s story on the purchase with some excellent quotes from Tull.